(from www.rushisaband.com)

When I was stuck in Olympia WA last week, the saving grace of our stay was our gracious host Kirk Leonnard and his girlfriend Amy, and their guest room devoted to their Xbox 360, and more specifically, Rock Band. It was there that Kirty South and I found solace, singing and plucking our depression away to the likes of the Beastie Boys, The Marshall Tucker Band and Black Sabbath. We also discussed woman-repellent music including Canadian arena rock champions, Rush. Oh! If only we had access to the tracks that will be made available tomorrow. We would have driven poor Amy completely bonkers.

From B|W|R Public Relations:

Harmonix and MTV Games announced today additional Rush tracks will be available at the Rock Band™ Music Store catalog of downloadable content. On July 8th, air drummers and guitarists will rejoice when direct from the Rush Masters Vault the exclusive Rock Band versions of “Closer To The Heart” and “Working Man (Vault Edition)” (featuring never released alternative guitar solo) are made available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft). Rush now have 5 songs available for Rock Band including cover versions of “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight” and “Working Man,” almost a full-set by prog rock standards!

Also available are two amazing tracks from six-time Grammy® winning, multi-platinum funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers. “Snow ((Hey Oh))” and “Tell Me Baby” from their critically acclaimed ninth studio double album Stadium Arcadium will be available for $1.99 per track (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace).

Release date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace)
Thursday, July 10, 2008 (PLAYSTATION®Store)

Tracks:
From the RUSH Masters Vault:
“Closer To The Heart”
” Man (Vault Edition)”

Hot Chili Peppers
” ((Hey Oh))”
“Tell Me Baby”

(All tracks utilize the original master recordings)

Price: 1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox LIVE Marketplace) per track
Locations: LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Network

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Last Friday we had been at a loss for content for filming, so I plopped my white ass down infront of the office T.V. (literally 80″ tall, we’re ballers).  It turns out we got Kung Fu Panda: The Game round these parts, so I figured it was about time someone got started on it.

As I was passed the controller I was almost bored stiff within minutes.  You get to walk around as a fat ass panda as Jack Black’s voice tells jokes aimed at 4 year olds… which is probably appropriate, considering thats their target audience and I’m probably at that maturity level anyways.  The fat panda has like 2 moves, and both suck… it’s kind of like the first Mortal Kombat before they put all the blood into it, but without Sub-Zero.

Blood aside, as I kept playing fat ass panda drew me in.  The game started getting more interesting as fat panda gained more moves.  Eventually fat panda was able knock dude’s down with the fat panda ball roll (which in selected parts they do a really kick ass fast paced fat panda ball roll).  Fat panda apparently has an eating problem, as he needs fat panda Asian food to live or something… I never understood that part.

The graphics are pretty good for what it is, and the controls are easy enough that I could pick it up and get going within a minute.  Oh, when fat panda gets sliced by a fat panda enemy’s sword, there is this really brutal cutting sound.  The fat panda game really wasn’t that bad, and we were playing on the Special Olympics setting, so I’m sure more challenging events are waiting for fat panda in the other levels.  For children 6 and up, as well as stoners and alcoholics, this game really is decent.

Fun:  5
Playability:7
Controls:  7
Graphics:  8
Stoner Compatibility: 9

On the heels of last month’s incident in Minnesota, when a father shot and killed his 8-year-old son thinking he was a turkey, a Kentucky man shot and killed his 14-year-old son on Sunday….wait for it…thinking he was a turkey:

The father and son were turkey hunting. Police say Steven Schmidthuber got separated from his father, David, 30 minutes after they went into the woods. Police say the father thought his son was a turkey, so he fired at him.

I guess the moral of the story is, next time you’re thinking about taking your boy turkey hunting, maybe you ought to try fishing, or maybe bowling. How about a nice game of Big Buck Hunter?

“Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles…”
“Doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll try to stay awake.”

Admittedly, I too am a bit skeptical of the upcoming Princess Bride Game, which will launch as a downloadable animated game this summer. The following trailer isn’t necessarily assuaging my distrust. There are a million and one ways to fuck up a legacy, and until I see otherwise, looks like Worldwide Biggies is tampering with greatness. But please, judge for yourself.

The Princess Bride Downloadable Game Trailer from PrincessBrideGame on Vimeo.

Right now, AcidPlanet.com is hosting a contest where fans have the opportunity to remix the title track of the Princess Bride Game. Woopie.

From the Press Release:

NEW YORK, NY — April 16, 2008 — ACIDplanet.com one of the Internet’s premier sites for user-generated music, video content, computer-based recording and remixing tools, today launched a contest to develop a new version of the film’s title theme song timed with a new downloadable video game based on the classic 1987 film, The Princess Bride. Contestants can download the components from the Sony Creative Software ACIDplanet.com website and remix their own title track from The Princess Bride Game (available at www.princessbridegame.com) created by Worldwide Biggies and debuting in June 2008.

Contestants may download the components to The Princess Bride Game theme song starting today and must submit their remix entry by midnight May 22, 2008. ACIDplanet remix contestants may use Sony Creative Software ACID XPress loop-based music production software that users can download for free or they may also use their software of choice.

The winning entry will be selected by the producers of the game and will be featured on http://www.PrincessBrideGame.com as an exclusive world premiere this summer. Other prizes for The Princess Bride Game ACIDplanet.com remix contest include a Debutante Butterfly guitar from Daisy Rock, Sony Creative Software Vegas Pro 8, ACID Pro 6, Cinescore Theme Packs, Sony Creative Software Loop Libraries and a Sony Portable DVD player.

For more information and complete contest rules, please visit:
http://www.acidplanet.com

I’ll be happy to change my tune once I see the actual game, but right now all I’m thinking is Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Don’t mess with greatness. Don’t gild the lily.

“Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?”

“If there are, we all be dead.”

DEATH FIRST!